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Half Million Pillowcase Celebration

To celebrate reaching 500,000 pillowcases donated to our One Million Pillowcase Challenge, we had some of our favorite designer friends make one of our free pillowcase patterns. See what they came up with and visit their blogs to hear more about their pillowcases.

American Patchwork & Quilting's Pillowcase

American Patchwork & Quilting staff says: "It’s no surprise that we LOVE pillowcases in the office! Not only are they such a fun way to play with fabric and color, but they are so quick to whip up! We think every head needs a creative and beautiful pillowcase to sleep on."

Benartex's Pillowcase

Benartex says: "The three middle train car appliques are open at the top, creating pockets for holiday treats (like candy canes!). This concept could also work to make a single pocket on a pillowcase for the tooth fairy to retrieve lost teeth and leave a surprise in return."

Fabrics are from the Ho-Ho-Ho, Let It Snow collection by Nancy Halvorsen for Benartex.

Betsy Chutchian's Pillowcase

Betsy says: "Why a Halloween theme? Smiles. Halloween makes me smile. We all need memories of happy times that are triggered by something, whether a smell, or a fabric, or a project, or a photo, whatever. Whatever the trigger may be, suddenly without thinking you will find yourself smiling."

Fabrics are from tthe Wrappers collection by Betsy Chutchian for Blue Hill Fabrics, the Bella Solid collection from Moda Fabrics, and The Boo Crew and Lucy's Crab Shack collections by Sweetwater for Moda Fabrics.

Coats & Clark's and FreeSpirit's Pillowcase

Coats & Clark says: "Did you know you could use multi color threads for applique? We love the cute pattern the thread creates around the train cars."

FreeSpirit says: "Of course our interpretation is more than a pillow case with a number, but a pillow case with a message. The train will keep chugging along to reach 1 Million Pillowcases . . . 1 million smiles, 1 million bits of love, 1 million stitched of your hands and from your hearts!"

Fabrics are from the Beechwood Park collection by Jenean Morrison, the Shelbourne Falls collection by Denyse Schmidt, the World Tour collection by Parson Gray, the Notting Hill collection by Joel Dewberry, and Designer Essential Solids all from FreeSpirit Fabric.

Crazy Old Ladies' Pillowcase

Emily says: "I shrunk the pattern down to 75%. I wanted it a little bit smaller so that it would all fit into the cuff and not get lost in the main print. Since I was using these bright, fun fabrics I wanted the cuff to be white so you could see each fabric."

Handi Quilter's Pillowcase

Handi Quilter says: "We stitched the green hill fabric onto the yellow pillowcase fabric. Then HQ studio educator Cheryl Duncan created the wording with her embroidery machine and she stitched out, 'I think I can, I think I can,' as if it is the smoke coming out of the train’s smoke stack. Love it!"

Fabrics are from the Crazy for Dots and Stripes and the Pin Dots collections for RJR Fabrics.

Julie Herman's Pillowcase

Julie Herman of Jaybird Quilts says: "I learned about the 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge when it started, but it really had an impact on me when my nephew Elijah was in the hospital. It was very difficult for him to be away from all the simple things at home he loved. His clothes, his bed, and his pillows."

Fabrics are from the Pure Organic Solids collection and the Ready, Set, Go! collection by Ann Kelle for Robert Kaufman.

Moda Fabrics' Pillowcase

Designer: Lissa Alexander

Lissa says: "I have taken the liberty to give this pattern a new name, the little engine that could. That's perfect, right? APQ's little engine has made it up the hill to the half million mark. Now is the time for everyone to throw some coal in the engine and help."

Fabrics are from the Little Things Organic collection by Arrin Turnmire for Moda Fabrics.

Northcott's Pillowcase

Designer: Patti Carey

Patti says: "These shelters provide a critical step in stopping the cycle and getting these moms and kids back on track. I clicked on the website’s wish list, and saw that school supplies top the list of items urgently needed, so I will pick some up and include them with the pillowcase when I drop it off. It will help lessen the burden of a struggling mom, and the pillowcase will hopefully be a constant reminder to a child that someone cares enough to make him or her something special."

Fabrics are from the Noah's Jungle collection by Deborah Edwards for Northcott.

Roseann Kermes' Pillowcase

Roseann of Rosebud's Cottage says: "I carefully cut out a little elf from the selvage and hid him in the window. And I made packages from scraps and added itty bitty rickrack for embellishments. It was hard to stop adding lots of extra details!"